525,600
by Amythista
Summary: Slices of life and death in a world where people sing, cry, pray, live, and love. A collection of RENT oneshots and drabbles.
1. Midnight

Here it is! The first chapter of Measure Your Life. And, for those curious, I fully intend to have that number of chapters. Eventually. Maybe. But there will be at least one for every day of the year. Not nessesarily in order. Or set in the same year. These aren't really drabbles, just oneshots. Enjoy! And excuse my long author's note!

**April 10 12:00 AM**

Ah, the earth. Peaceful. Serene. From outer space, you could hear absolutely nothing.

Zoom in on North America's New York.

More specifically, zoom in on the upper story of a dirty apartment building on the corner of 11th street and Avenue B. Then, you can hear screaming from a Miss Maureen Johnson.

It sounds somewhat like a dying beetle.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

"What? What? What?" Mark Cohen stumbles in from his bedroom. In New York, it happens to be that delightful hour of 12:00 AM.

Maureen sits delicately on the floor.

"I'm bored."

Mark groans.

"Come back to bed." He tells her.

"Where's Roger?"

"Asleep. As we should be. As I was, two minutes ago."

"Two minutes ago it was April's birthday. Now it's not."

Maureen says this quietly. Mark sighs and slumps next to her.

"Thank God Roger didn't realize." Moans Mark.

"Remember last year?"

Maureen nods.

"Angel was really nice today. Like she was last year."

There was a pause. Then:

"Last year, Joanne and I were still together."

"You were."

"Now I'm with you again."

"I should hope so."

"What do you think Joanne's doing in Seattle?"

"Sleeping. Like _we_ should."

"What are we going to do today?"

"You have rehearsals, don't you?"

"No."

"Then we'll get Roger, Mimi, Angel, and Collins together and go to the Life."

"I'm glad Angel and Mimi are okay."

"I am, too."

They fell into a comfortable silence.

"Mark?"

"Mmm?" said Mark, jostling awake.

"Do you know we're the only ones without-"

"Reen."

"I'm sorry."

"Why do we always have these conversations at night?"

"Because."

"Didn't we get back together at 3:00 AM?"

"Yep. That's why." Maureen planted a small kiss on his lips, then yawned.

"Okay, now we can sleep."

She stood up to go into the other room.

"Now I'm awake!" complained Mark.

Maureen just looked at him.

"That can be fixed."

Bad ending. It's fanfiction so I can post it anyway! But please review!

Anyone who does gets virtual cookies!

O O O

O O O


	2. The Beginning of Life

A/N: I KNOW! Please don't kill me! I've been sick, and lots of stuff has been going on. Anyway, three moths ago I FINALLY saw RENT! It was really awesome, but I wasn't too crazy about the cast. Besides Adam and Anthony, duh. I love the tune-up thing. "December 24th, 9 PM, Eastern Standard Time…" Now it's stuck in my head. On that note, here's a drabble I actually came up with about 30 seconds ago while typing the "December 24th" thing. THANK YOU, BRAIN!

I do not own. I will never own. If I did own, then all wars would end and I would get to make the writers of "Bones" give Booth his memory back. If he loses it forever, I will sue. If that was legal. But it's not. And I should be ranting about this in the "Bones" category, so I do not own.

"Happy birthday, Mark!" sang his mother.

"Thanks, Mom…" Mark eyed the package suspiciously. It was square. Square usually meant a box. A box usually meant empty because his father forgot that it was for him and sold it at a garage sale or something.

Of course he wasn't there. Never for the morning of his son's 13th birthday.

"Open it!" demanded Cindy.

Mark tentatively reached out and plucked a piece of tape from the wrapping.

Cindy just looked at him.

Mark glared at her, then tore the wrapping off.

It was a cardboard box. Mark grinned.

"Thanks, Mom."

"Mark, there's something in the box." Said Cindy with her head in her hands.

"I know, okay? I was joking."

Mark opened the box to reveal…

…a camera?

"Do you like it?" squealed his mother. "I thought it would help you express yourself!"

Of course.

"Yeah, thanks Mom!" Mark put on a fake smile and hugged his mother.

Later, he went up to his room with his new camera.

He looked at it. His mother had already set it up.

Mark got up and wandered around the house, filming nothing interesting, just doing something to keep him from dying of boredom. Stepping outside, he noticed the neighborhood bully, Rupert, in his front yard, blowing bubbles with his gum.

Suddenly, the gum popped all over Rupert's face, including his eyes and hair.

He blindly began to attempt to pull it off.

Mark had caught it all on tape. He grinned.

It was the start of a beautiful friendship.

Likey? Hatey? Hades? Homework? Hotline? Review?


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